2026 Outer Banks, NC: Day 1
Dear Bullis Families and Community,
We’ve safely arrived in the beautiful Outer Banks, and the excitement on the students’ faces made every mile worth it!
Our first stop was Jockey’s Ridge State Park, where students eagerly explored the tallest living sand dunes on the Atlantic Coast. They soaked up the sun, climbed the rolling dunes, and delighted in the stunning views around them! We wrapped up the day with a closing circle to gather and reflect on the day, followed by a few quiet moments of writing in their OBX journals back in their rooms. We are so proud of how our students fully embraced their first-day adventures!
Please enjoy a glimpse of our day through these photos, along with the voices of our thoughtful 6th-grade bloggers. We can’t wait to share more in the days ahead!
Jackson L. '32 reflects:
As soon as the 8th graders left for Costa Rica, you could feel the excitement building. Then, when the 7th graders left for the Keys yesterday, the excitement was just boiling! Last night, I could barely sleep because I was so nervous and excited, so you could say there was a little more energy than usual at school this morning. We met our trip chaperone and talked about the trip with our chaperone group. Then it was time to get on the bus. We gave our bags to the really nice drivers, who put our suitcases under the bus. When we stepped on the bus, we were amazed at how nice it was! Once we got settled, we realized we couldn’t get the DVD player working, so we did karaoke instead. It was an unusually fun moment! We stopped at the hotel to pick up our super nice WorldStrides tour guides and then headed onward to Jockey’s Ridge. There, we listened to a ranger talk before heading out to the dunes. I taught a few people how to fly a kite, and we got five kites in the air! After our time at the dunes, we went back to the hotel to get refreshed for dinner. First, Bus 1 went to dinner, and the teachers set a goal to keep the noise under 90 decibels. They succeeded, so it was up to us (Bus 2) to finish! We stayed quiet while eating a delicious dinner of pork, chicken tenders, fries, and more! We had a few close calls (sometimes 89 decibels!), but we pulled through and will get a prize tonight! On the way back to the hotel, we jammed out to some songs that Ms. Brooks put on. We will finish our day in our chaperone groups to share our rose, bud, and thorn (a high, a growth moment, and a low from our day)!
Hadley A. '32 writes:
Our journey started bright and early this morning with lots of “Love you, Mom!” “Love you, Dad!” and “Have a great time!” We walked into South Hall, got our suitcase tags, learned how to attach them, and hopped on the bus. We even stopped midway for a little stretch. Soon after, we arrived at Jockey’s Ridge. When we stepped off the bus, we saw the beautiful sand dunes stretching out in front of us. We watched a few quick videos about the history of Jockey’s Ridge. The park was full of kids flying kites, playing King of the Hill, running down the dunes together, and making so many memories filled with laughter. Next, we are looking forward to dinner at High Cotton BBQ, which will be great! We are having so much fun and are being taken care of so well!
Sophie F. '32 shares:
Today we started the day with the bus ride, which was filled with lots of singing, talking, and having fun! Once we arrived in the Outer Banks, we began our first experience at Jockey’s Ridge. We played in the sand dunes for a few hours and shared lots of laughs! We also took some pictures for our parents and teachers back home - you’ll be seeing them soon! When we got to the hotel, we met our roommates and got ready for dinner. Dinner was a blast, filled with French fries, good food, and great friendships! We ended our day with a closing circle, sharing our rose (the best part of the day), bud (something neutral or something you’re looking forward to), and thorn (a challenge or something that didn’t go as well). We hope you are all doing well, and we’re excited to see you on Friday!
Michael P. '32 reflects:
Today was amazing! Our trip began with a short, permitted time to use our devices, and surprisingly, everyone stayed pretty quiet. Our first stop was at a rest center, where we used the bathrooms and chatted with friends from different buses. Right next to the rest stop, we took a big group picture of our grade! Back on the buses, we continued our journey. On the way to the hotel, I saw lots of interesting sights, like farms with animals, and even people singing outside their houses. When we arrived at the hotel, we were told we were only there to pick up our World Strides guides, not to check in yet. Next, we headed to Jockey’s Ridge sand dunes. We learned about the history of the dunes and how this was the place where the Wright brothers flew their planes. After that, we went outside and played on the biggest parts of the dunes and jumped off them. It was so much fun! After all that excitement, we found out who our roommates would be, which was really exciting. Once we got settled in our rooms, we got ready for dinner. When everyone met in the lobby, we went as a group to High Cotton BBQ. The food was delicious and filling, but the best part was spending time with my friends! After dinner, we returned to the hotel for a closing circle with our chaperones. We shared our “Rose, Bud, and Thorn” of the day, then headed to our rooms for a good night’s rest. And that’s how our first day of sixth grade Discovery Days went!
Everly P. '32 writes:
Today was a fun and long day! First, we took about a six-hour trip to the Outer Banks. On the bus, we watched Despicable Me 2, and it was really good! I haven’t seen Bolt yet, but I’d give it a 10 out of 10. At Jockey’s Ridge, we learned about the history of the park and how it became a state park. I flew kites on the beach and made sand angels. For dinner, we went to High Cotton BBQ. We had fries, hush puppies, pork, chicken, and coleslaw. It was some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had! I cannot wait for the rest of the week and to see what adventures are planned next!
Warmly,
The 6th Grade Team
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